Kurdistan’s Weekly Brief August 30

Turkish authorities announced curfews in several areas southeast of the country. After the March 14th curfew was partially lifted on July 25, the governorate of Nusaybin reversed course and declared a 30 day extension to the curfew. The governorate of Hakkari also announced curfews in Chukurca district and several villages until further notice. Curfews were implemented in Lice district in Diyarbakir (Amed) and 14 villages surrounding it. Since July 2015, curfews have been imposed in a majority of the Kurdish cities and towns in Turkey due to military operations.

People’s Democratic Party (HDP) official Huseyin Yildirim accused Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) for the mass poisoning of water in the Elbistan district of Kahramanmarash Province. According to media reports, the poisoning resulted in 15 thousand people from 16 neighborhoods being hospitalized on August 28.

Syria

Syrian Islamist groups such as Faylaq Al Sham, Noordin Al Zingi, Jabhat Al Shamia, Liwa Al Fatah, Sultan Murad, and other jihadi factions backed by the Turkish army, invaded the Syrian town of Jerablus after ISIS withdrew from the area. Turkey’s President Recep Tayeb Erdogan stated that “our operations will continue until terror organizations such as Daesh, the PKK and its Syrian arm, the YPG, cease to be threats for our citizens.” Meanwhile Turkish airstrikes and artillery attacks have killed at least 40 civilians, and wounded dozens more. Since Turkey’s invasion into parts of Syria, clashes have broken out between the Jerablus Military Council (a member of the Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF]) and Turkish-backed Islamist groups. These clashes resulted in two casualties: a SDF member, and a Turkish soldier been killed in addition of one Turkish tank been destroyed. Four SDF members were also taken captive. The People’s Defense Units’ (YPG) positions were targeted by the Turkish army in Derik city resulting in one YPF fighter’s injury. The co-president of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), Salih Muslim, warned Turkey against invading Syria, stating that “Turkey is in a Syrian quagmire, and will be defeated just like Daesh.” In response to on-and-off clashes between Islamist groups and the SDF, a secretary of Defense called all parties to cease fighting each other. On Tuesday August 30, Jerablus Military Council (JMC) announced a truce in between them and the Turkish forces under supervision of the U.S. led coalition.

At least 10 Kurdish and Arab civilians were executed by ISIS in Al Bab. The executed civilians were from Manbij and Al Bab. In Raqqa, ISIS released a video showing five boys executing 5 Kurdish prisoners.

Iraq

As agreed upon two years ago, the Patriot Union of Kurdistan (PUK) handed over the position of the Sulaymaniyah governor to Gorran (Change Movement) on August 23. Meanwhile, Gorran handed over the position of Halabja governor to the PUK. The exchange of positions included the heads of the provincial councils of Sulaymaniyah and Halabja as well as part of an agreement between both parties after the 2013 elections.

The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Nechervan Barzani, visited Baghdad on August 29 and held a meeting with the Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Al Abadi. According to a statement by the KRG, Prime Minister Barzani discussed oil sharing, the rights of Kurdistan and Kirkuk as well as technical aspects of coordination between Iraq’s Ministry of Oil and Kurdistan’s Ministry of Natural Resources.

One Peshmerga fighter was killed and two others wounded after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off at the frontlines in Daquq south of Kirkuk. ISIS often leaves IEDs and bombs behind in towns and villages when they are pushed out by security forces.

Iran

According to a media report, several Kurdish businessmen in Sardash city have been taken to unknown locations by Iranian intelligence. The family of one businessman said that they have not received any official information or statements from the Iranian government about the condition of their family member.